Many people, including myself, are forced to or have been forced to work a job that doesn’t fuel their passion or utilize the gifts the God bestowed upon them. I have set goals, planned, and am now living and loving my career.

I have not always been as fortunate or as focused as I am today. I moved to Fresno from San Francisco in 1997 to attend Fresno State and pursue a degree in exercise science, which led me to my first job / internship in the fitness industry. In 1999 I began my personal training career at Bally’s Fitness, competitive body building, and got certified as a personal trainer from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. After excelling in every position I tackled with Bally’s, I ventured out to start my own mobile fitness company. Not all of my business ventures have been a success and even with investors, multiple locations, and employees, in 2011, I was forced to close my businesses, file bankruptcy, and leave the fitness industry for a steady paycheck in the construction industry.

My Resurgence…

It was evident I was unhappy and lacked passion about the construction industry. I knew something needed to change, I just didn’t know what was. I had taken the idea of a career in fitness off my radar, likely because of the hurt and failure I felt whenever I reflected on my journey in fitness. However, every failure is a learning opportunity and when I was still and alone with my thoughts, I realized the only thing I was truly passionate about was FITNESS. I sought advice from several close people; I wanted to be certain I was making the right decision. I put my future in God’s hands, prayed and asked Him for guidance. Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

In April of 2014 Resurgent Fitness and Coaching was created and Open for Business. I re-certified with National Academy of Sports Medicine and also became a Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach. Almost 3 years later and I am truly thankful for the work that God has called me to do. EVERYTHING I’m doing is through of His grace and mercy. My goal now is to highlight my clients so that they can be a source of motivation for others, as they are to me. I truly want to spread the good news of fitness, help as many people as possible, and show everyone you are to alone in the fitness fight.

Do you have unmet goals? If so, you aren’t alone. Most people live with unfulfilled aspirations.

Unfortunately, many widely used self-help techniques fail to deliver results.

Case in point: You’ve probably heard of the “Yale Goal Study” where researchers interviewed Yale’s 1953 graduating class, asking whether or not the students had written down specific goals that they wanted to achieve. Then twenty years down the road the researchers looked up each student and discovered that the 3% of the class who had written down their goals had accumulated more personal wealth than the other 97% combined.

Very compelling story, but complete fiction.

The “Yale Goal Study” never happened, though motivational speakers and self-help books have quoted it for years.

Best-selling author and psychologist Richard Wiseman went on a mission to craft a no-nonsense response to the bogus self-help techniques. Using a diverse range of scientific data, he uncovered a proven approach to achieve any goal.

The following 5 successful techniques (Do This) and 5 unsuccessful techniques (Not That) are from Wiseman’s book, 59 Seconds Change Your Life in Under a Minute.

1) Do This: Make a Step-by-Step Plan.

If you are serious about achieving your goal, then you need to create a step-by-step plan on how to do it.

Successful goal-achievers break down their overall goal into sub-goals. Each sub-goal needs to be concrete, measurable and time-based.

Not That: Motivate yourself by focusing on someone that you admire.
Studies show that focusing on someone you admire is not a strong enough motivator to see you through your goal.

2) Do This: Tell Other People About Your Goal.

How badly do you want to achieve your goal? If you want it bad enough, you’ll tell your friends and family.

This technique works on two levels. First, you’ve put yourself on the spot by letting the world in on your goal, so it’s all-eyes-on-you. Failure would be public. Second, your friends and family are there to offer support and encouragement. Don’t underestimate the psychological power of having someone in your corner.

Not That: Think about the bad things.
When you focus on the negative it becomes your reality.

3) Do This: Focus on the Good Things When Achieving Your Goal.

Remind yourself of the benefits associated with achieving your goal.

Make a checklist of how life will be better once you have achieved your aim. This gets your focus on a positive future, one that’s worth the effort.

Not That: Try to suppress unhelpful thoughts.

Rather than trying to erase that image of chocolate cake from your mind, learn to deal with the reality of temptation head-on.

4) Do This: Reward Your Progress.

Studies show that attaching rewards to each of your sub-goals encourages success.

Your rewards should never conflict with your major goal. When aiming to lose weight, never use food as a reward.

Not That: Rely on willpower.
Willpower alone rarely gets anyone to their goal.

5) Do This: Record Your Progress.

Make your plans, progress, benefits and rewards concrete by expressing them in writing.

Use a hand-written journal, your computer or a bulletin board to chart your progress. This process is priceless for maintaining motivation.

Not That: Just fantasize about life after achieving your goal.
Daydreaming is fun, but simply fantasizing about your new life will not make it a reality.

Are you ready to achieve your fitness and weight loss goal once and for all? Call or email me now to get started on your spectacular body transformation.

It takes dedicated hard work to drop a significant number of pounds. But afterwards it’s incredibly easy (and frustrating!) to find those pounds creeping back on.

Maintaining fat loss is certainly possible, however it does require that you remain vigilant with your healthy routine.

Here are 5 secrets to maintaining your amazing body transformation for life. Think of these as your own personal lifestyle rules and stick with them at least 90% of the time to keep your body healthy and hot.

Hot Body Secret #1: Don’t Eat Just To Eat

There is no place in your healthy lifestyle for mindless snacking. I’m talking about a tub of popcorn at the movies or a bag of chips in front of the TV. All the calories ingested from mindless snacking have to end up somewhere…and that somewhere is around your waist or on your thighs.

Snacks are fine when you are aware of how much you’re eating in order to balance it with the rest of your meals for the day.

Hot Body Secret #2: Stand (And Walk) When Possible

Have you heard the saying sitting is the new smoking? The idea is that a lifetime of sitting all-day-every-day is as harmful to your body as smoking. Think for a moment about how much of your day is spent sitting.

You wake up and sit down for breakfast. You sit on the drive to work. You take the elevator up. You sit for most of 8 hours at work. You take the elevator down. You sit on the drive home. You sit to eat dinner. You sit to watch TV.

That’s quite a bit of time spent sitting! Now imagine if you consciously stood for some of this time each day and took the stairs instead of the elevator. Over weeks, and months, it really adds up in calories burned, muscles engaged, and overall fitness and health.

Hot Body Secret #3: Avoid Sugar

I might sound like a broken record about this one, but that’s OK, I’ll keep harping on this point until more people listen. Our bodies weren’t designed to ingest large amounts of sugar on a daily basis. When you regularly take in excess sugar the results are always the same. You. Gain. Weight.

The tricky part is that sugar is all around us, so avoiding it takes real vigilance.

Start with your morning beverage of choice. Does it have sugar in it? Most of the beverages that are blended and brewed at coffee shops are simply vehicles for ingesting sugar. Find a beverage that you enjoy without any added sugar and stick with the rule of not drinking sugary beverages throughout your day.

Hot Body Secret #4: Keep Dinner Light

Who says that dinner should be the biggest and heartiest meal of the day? Instead, focus on enjoying light dinners that are centered around protein and veggies and avoid starches and carbs in the evening.

The recipe below for Beet and Grapefruit Salad is a great example. Add a grilled chicken breast to a serving of this vibrant, fiber-filled salad and you have a nutritious dinner that’s light and healthy.

Hot Body Secret #5: Always Exercise

How often do you brush your teeth? Do you sometimes take a few weeks or months off brushing your teeth? Um, no. That’s gross. You brush your teeth everyday as an ongoing habit because you know that the benefits outweigh the slight inconvenience.

Can you see where I’m going with this? 🙂

Exercise only truly works when you do it as an ongoing habit because you know that the benefits outweigh the slight inconvenience. It’s part of keeping you healthy. It’s part of who you are.

I’m here to make your daily exercise habit fun and effective. If you aren’t yet my client then call or email today to join now.

How are you enjoying your fitness pursuits so far? Are you finding success? Is there any way I can improve your experience?

The start of the week is when many people get grocery shopping out of the way. I thought it’d be great to give you a few items you won’t want to leave out of your shopping cart. Trust me: these will make your home cooked foods much healthier and tastier!

Eggs

Eggs, are a great source of protein. What’s even better is that eggs can be prepared in plenty of ways: in an omelet, in a sandwich, or by themselves!

Be careful what you mix in with your eggs. Instead of throwing in sausage or bacon, try sprinkling on some homemade salsa or fresh veggies. Speaking of…

Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and vegetables will ALWAYS pair well with any meal you eat. They’ll add nutrients and antioxidants to your meal, at the expense of very few calories.

You’ll also want to keep your countertop stacked with fruits because they make great snacks when you’re on-the-go. Eat a banana for some energy, or mix lettuce, tomatoes, and lunch meat for a quick low carb sandwich that will keep you full.

Nuts and Seeds

Need some energy in a hurry. Grab a bottle of unsalted peanuts! A handful of these will boost your protein and energy levels. Also, if they’re unsalted they won’t have any unnecessary sodium.

Flax seeds are a great protein additive for your drinks. Just put them in your next protein shake and you’ll be getting a bigger nutritional punch without even noticing!

Turkey Patties (and More)

Craving a juicy hamburger fresh off the grill? Want to stay healthy?

Turkey patties are savory and healthy alternatives for regular beef patties. But why stop there? Use lettuce in place of buns. You’ll barely notice the difference—while your body will feel lighter and more energized!

What if you spent the next 30 days dropping excess pounds and getting into better shape? Then you could ride out the summer months fitter than ever and more likely to eat healthier, indulge less and stick with your workout schedule.

Sounds good, right?

I’ve got just the plan to get you there. Follow these 5 steps to transform your body over the next 30 days…

1) Go Bread Free: Going bread-free for 30 days is such a simple way to accelerate fat loss. Just think of all the extra carbs and calories that you’ll be saving yourself from. And it’s not so bad, once you get used to it. Wrap sandwiches and burgers in lettuce or on top of a pile of greens.

2) Workout 5x’s Each Week: Take the next 30 days to really focus your efforts in the gym. Train as if you were preparing yourself for an athletic event, with the mindset that each and every workout is important in seeing you through your goal. Make a log of each time that you exercise, noting the duration, intensity and activity.

3) Go Sugar Free: Sugar is the biggest thing holding you back when it comes to dropping fat and getting lean. And not just refined sugar. I’m talking about all sugars. Take the next 30 days to cut out all sweeteners and limit your intake of sweet fruits. This will be hard at first, especially if you have a sweet tooth, but the rapid change in you body is fantastic incentive to keep going.

4) Focus on Protein and Veggies: Enough about all the things you can’t eat, let’s talk about what you can eat. Your meals should be a variety of protein and veggies. For protein stick with organic, hormone-free meat that has been roasted, baked or grilled. For veggies, avoid starchy veggies like potatoes, and instead stick with an assortment of colorful, fiber-filled veggies.

5) Commit to be Fit: The quickest way to get your body into tip-top shape is to join one of my fitness programs. I’m here to get you into the best shape of your life, with my proven, effective system. Make the commitment now, and together we can make the body of your dreams a reality.

So there you have it, 5 simple steps to transforming your body.

Remember, the next 30 days are going to pass whether you jump on board with a fitness plan or not. So you’re going to spend the next 30 days simply getting older and more out-of-shape OR you could buckle down and finally make your amazing transformation.

The choice is yours.

I’m here to see you through it all. Call or email now and we will get started.

You’ve been working hard on your fitness game and it paid off. The pounds started to drop! And then one day your results stopped. You keep putting in the same effort without any sign of improvement.

You’ve hit a frustrating plateau.

Or have you? Before you blame a fitness plateau for your lack of results let’s critically consider the following:

1. Your Diet: It’s human nature to begin to slip on your nutrition after a few weeks of stringent diligence. A small treat here, and a bite of something there, and before you know it you’ve fallen back into old eating habits. If your results have stopped then take the next few weeks to track your nutrition and hold yourself accountable for every bite.

2. Your Workouts: If your nutrition has truly stayed on point then your workouts could be the problem. Are you slacking on the final few reps? Have you reduced your overall intensity in the gym? Did you skip a few sessions last week? Before you blame a plateau for your reduced results take a really hard look at your effort in the gym. Rededicate yourself to pushing as hard as you can.

3. Your Sleep: This is a tough one for so many people, but you simply must be getting adequate sleep in order to lose fat and develop muscle. Your body needs close to eight hours of sleep each night in order to recover from your workouts and to maintain balanced hormone levels. Getting to bed on time is vitally important to your fitness results.

If you have tackled the three steps above and still don’t see the number on your scale moving in the right direction, then move on to these next plateau-busting steps…

4. Track Your Efforts: It’s time to get meticulous with tracking your fitness efforts, from exactly what your workouts consist of, to exactly what and when you eat in order to constantly improve. Make it your goal to outdo yourself every day. If you’re constantly performing better today than you were yesterday, then your plateau will quickly become a distant memory.

5. Track Your Results: Simply checking your weight on the scale is not a thorough enough measurement for your progress. Start tracking additional metrics for change. Take your measurements. Have your bodyfat tested. Take pictures of yourself weekly. It’s important to be fully aware of how your body is changing as a whole unit, not just the number on the scale. You may be surprised to find that your body fat has been dropping while your weight has stayed the same.

See me for additional strategies on breaking through your fitness plateau. Together we will get you on a program that will melt fat and expose shape and definition.

Ready for summer? Warmer weather, shorts, tank tops and bathing suits are just around the corner. Are you ready for it? What if you spent the next 30 days dropping excess pounds and getting into better shape before hitting the beach? Then you could ride out the summer months fitter than ever and more likely to eat healthier, indulge less and stick with your workout schedule.

Sound good?

I’ve got just the no-fail fat loss plan to get you there. Follow these 5 steps to transform your body over the next 30 days…

1) Go Gluten Free: Going gluten free for 30 days is such a simple way to accelerate fat loss. Just think of all the extra carbs and calories that you’ll be saving yourself from. And it’s not so bad, once you get used to it. Wrap sandwiches and burgers in lettuce or on top of a pile of greens.

2) Exercise 5x’s Each Week: Take the next 30 days to really focus your efforts in the gym. Train as if you were preparing yourself for an athletic event, with the mindset that each and every workout is important in seeing you through your goal. Make a log of each time that you exercise, noting the duration, intensity and activity.

3) Go Sugar Free: Sugar is the biggest thing holding you back when it comes to dropping fat and getting lean. And not just refined sugar. I’m talking about all sugars. Take the next 30 days to cut out all sweeteners and limit your intake of sweet fruits. This will be hard at first, especially if you have a sweet tooth, but the rapid change in your body is fantastic incentive to keep going.

4) Enjoy Protein and Veggies: Enough about all the things you can’t eat, let’s talk about what you can eat. Your meals should be a variety of protein and veggies. For protein stick with organic, hormone-free meat that has been roasted, baked or grilled. For veggies, avoid starchy veggies like potatoes, and instead stick with an assortment of colorful, fiber-filled veggies.

5) Join My Program: The quickest way to get your body into tip-top shape is to join one of my fitness programs. I’m here to get you into the best shape of your life, with my proven, effective system. Make the commitment now, and together we can make the body of your dreams a reality.

So there you have it, 5 simple steps to transforming your body before summer vacation!

Remember, the next 30 days are going to pass whether you jump on board with a fitness plan or not. So, you’re going to spend the next 30 days simply getting older and more out-of-shape OR you could buckle down and finally make your amazing transformation.

The choice is yours.

I’m here to see you through it all. Call or email now and let’s get started!

Just think of the clean eating streaks that you’ve abandoned for a slice of cake, and all of the extra calories you’ve eaten just to have a taste of something sweet before bed.

Where’s that sweet tooth gotten you?

Into pants that are another size larger. Into your doctor’s office for another lecture. Into a body that you no longer enjoy.

Yes, sweet are delicious and tempting, but the life-long repercussions far outweigh the momentary pleasure.

To help you conquer your sugar craving once and for all, I’ve identified 5 sweets you should ditch, and a healthy substitute for each.

1) Ditch this Sweet: Candy

Nothing gets refined sugar circulating through your body quicker than a fistful of candy—and if you’re in the habit of eating candy daily then your body will crave it.

Candy has virtually no nutritional value, other than caloric energy, and will quickly end up stored on your body in the form of unwanted, annoying fat.

Do This: Swap candy out for a handful of unsalted nuts, a few pieces of unsweetened, dried fruit, or a small square of very dark chocolate (at least 72% cocoa content).

2) Ditch this Sweet: Baked Goods

Cake, cookies, brownies, pastries, donuts, and pies are filled with sugar. While these may not taste as sweet as candy, the combination of refined sugar and white flour will spike your blood sugar just the same.

Very much like candy, regularly eating baked goods may become a habit. Break yourself of this and you’ll find the number on your scale going down rather than up.

Do This: Put down the cookie and reach for a piece of fresh, seasonal fruit. Fruit is nature’s candy and is every bit as blissful as a slice of cake. Serving a beautiful fruit platter to guests can be as delightful as any baked treat.

3) Ditch this Sweet: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt

Nothing makes you feel as happy and carefree as a bowl of creamy ice cream…until that ice cream makes its permanent home on your waist. Very much like candy, ice cream has few nutritional benefits.

Do This: Mix unsweetened, nonfat Greek yogurt with a scoop of vanilla protein powder and mix in some chopped, fresh fruit. This creamy delight is much lower in sugar than ice cream and tastes amazing!

4) Ditch this Sweet: Soft Drinks

A regular can of soda pop contains the equivalent of 10 packets of sugar. That’s more sugar than you should consume in a full week!

Soft drinks something that you get into the habit of drinking and then do without thinking. The good news is that a habit can be broken and then replaced with something healthier.

Do This: Take soda pop out of your diet. Period. There are plenty of other, healthier, beverages available to you. Try the recipes for Spa Water below.

5) Ditch this Sweet: Blended Drinks

Smoothies, blended coffee drinks and milkshakes are all tempting treats, especially in hot summer months. Don’t give in to the temptation!

These items are even more deadly than most treats since they are consumed through a straw and don’t make you feel full. Let me assure you that even though you don’t feel full, like you would after a piece of cake, you’re still taking in a bunch of sugary calories.

Do This: Make your own healthy blended drinks at home by using natural sweeteners like stevia, or simply by using fruit. Blend a delicious protein shake with ice, milk and protein powder.

A great thing to remember is that once you’ve fallen out of the habit of eating sugar, your body will no longer crave it.

This means that each day spent in discipline will bring you closer to the day that sugar no longer has a hold over you. Imagine how much happier and healthier you will be!

Eating healthy is half of the battle when it comes to fitness and wellness. The other, equally important, side is maintaining a regular, challenging exercise program.

For an exercise program to be challenging it must always be changing. That’s why my workouts are never the same.

It’s my goal to get you into the best shape of your life. Call or email today to begin your transformation!